Vehicle-body.



PATENTED AUG. 150 10905.

T. LOTHERINGTON.

VEHICLE BODY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1905' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

DEV

wigas PATENTED AUG. 15 1905.

ATES PATENT OFFllOE,

'lHOMAS LOTHERINGTON, OF ENSLEY, ALABAlVlri, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TO FREDERICK GIBSON FONVILLE, OF ENELEY, ALABAMA.

WEHIIOLE EUUYM Qpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

To ctZl whom, it may concern.-

lie it known that l, THOMAS Lo'rHnmNe'roN, a citizen of the United :Btates, residing at llnsley, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have in vented new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle boxes or bodies, and has for its objects to produce a simple inexpensive device of this character in which the sides and ends of the body may be readily folded upon the bottom of the latter -to thus convert the device into a dray and one wherein the bracing elements or rods em ployed for securing the sides and ends in their normal position serve the function of locking members for securing the parts in folded position.

Further objects of the invention are to provide means for bracing the bottom of the wagon-body to prevent the same from sagging and to equip the end-gates with central cleats, which subserve the twofold function of receiving the tie-rods and entering between the edges of the side-boards to prevent escape of the end-gates when the parts are in folded position.

With these and other objects in View the invention comprises the novel features of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehiclc-body embodying the invention. Fig 2 is a vertical longitudinal section centrally therethrough. Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing the parts of the body folded for use as a dray. Fig. 1 is a reverse plan view of the body. Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1 iookingin the direction of the arrow. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the lower section of one of the sides.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the improved body comprises a bottom 1, end-gates 2, and sides 3, which latter are each composed of .a lower section 4: and an upper section 5, while the gates 2 likewise each consist of upper and lower sections 6 7.

Extended transversely across the lower face of the bottom 1, and attached to the latter in any appropriate manner is a series of strapmetal members 3, having upturned terminals constituting side engaging members or flanges 9, provided with perforations 10 for a purpose which will hereinafter appear, these members 8 being spaced at intervals throughout the length of the body, preferably as shown herein. There is also attached to the lower face of the bottom 1 a pair of transverse members or beams 11, arranged, respectively, adjacent the opposite ends of the body and appropriately perforated, as at 12, for the reception of the ends of tension rods or elements 13, each formed in two sections connected by a turnbuckle 141, there being disposed above each of the rods 13 a longitudinal bracing member or beam 15, carrying on its outer face a pair of depending lugs or struts 16, on which the adjacent rod 13 bears, these struts being spaced to receive between them the turnbuckle 14, while the beams 15 extend continuously between and abut at their terminals agailiist the inner side faces of the transverse beams 12. It is to be observed in this connection that by manipulating the turnbuckles 14 a suitable tension may be maintained upon the parts to prevent sagging of the bottom 1 between its ends and that the rods 13 may be tensioned from time to time to compensate for expansion and contraction and to exert the requisite bracing and strengthening action upon the vehicle-bottom to the end in view.

The lower sections a of the sides are each equipped with a plurality of strap-metal memhers or plates 17, arranged at appropriatelyspaced intervals and having their upper ends folded around the upper edge of the section within suitable seats or recesses 18, provided for the purpose, while the lower ends of the plates 17are turned inward at right angles, thus to produce horizontal engaging portions 19, adapted when the parts of the body are assembled to seat beneath the bottom .1, while the engaging portions or flanges 9 are designed to bear upon the outer faces of the sides 3. The upper sections 5 of the sides each has attached thereto at suitably-spaced intervals vertical standards or cleats 20, the lower portions of which depend from the lower edges of the sections 5 and enter seats or sockets 21, preferably in the form of vertically-spaced pairs of U-shaped staples or tiebolts fixed to the lower sections 4 of the sides at intervals to register with the cleats 20 when the side sections-are assembled. Attached to the inner faces of the sides 3 at points adjacent the ends of the vehicle-body are pairs of vertically-disposed cleats 22, suitably spaced apart to receive between them the ends of the end-gates 2, to the outer faces and adjacent the longitudinal centers of which latter are attached vertical bars or cleats 23, each composed of a'pair of sections attached, respectively, to the end-gate sections 6 7 and having perforations 24c in alinement with corresponding perforations in the sides 3 for the reception of horizontal tie rods or elements 25, which serve to secure the sides and end-gates in position when assembled to form the wagonbody, it being noted that each of the elements 25 is provided at one end with a handpiece 26 and has tapped onto its other end an adjustable nut 27, operable for maintaining the requisite tension .upon the tie-rods.

In practice when the parts of the body are assembled, as illustrated in Fig. 1, there is formed a vehicle-box adapted for the ordinary uses, under which conditions the members 9 and 19 serve to maintain the lower sections 4 of the sides in secure engagement with the bottom 1, while the upper sections 5 are held in position through the medium of the cleats 20 and their sockets 21, while the rods 25 serve to prevent displacement of the sides of the box, owing to internal pressure, and to lock the end-gates 2 against accidental displacement.

hen the parts are folded to produce a dray, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the end-gates 2 are removed and laid fiat upon the bottom 1 and the sides 3 upon the end-gates, after which the tie'rods 25 are inserted through the perforations 10 in the members 9 for holding the parts in place, attention being directed to the fact that under these conditions the cleats 23 upon the end-gates enter between the spaced edges of the sides to thus prevent the endgates from escaping, while the tie-rods at the opposite ends of the body extend between the end cleats 22, thereby holding the sides 3 against longitudinal displacement. It is apparent that under these conditions a strong dray having a double bottom is produced and is admirably adapted for all of the uses and purposes attendant upon drays of ordinary construction.

From the foregoing it is apparent that there is produced a simple efficient vehicle-body admirably adapted for the attainment of the ends in view and one in which the parts may be readily assembled and secured to produce either a box or a dray, it being understood that in attaining these ends minor changes in the details herein set forth may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a vehicle-body, a bottom, upwardlyprojecting perforated ears carried thereby, movable sides and end-gates adapted for arrangement in folded position upon the bottom, centrally-disposed cleats carried by the end-gates and designed for engagement between the sides when in folded position, said cleats and sides having alining perforations, and removable tie elements extended through said perforations to maintain the parts in unfolded position, said elements being adapted to extend through the perforated ears and engage above the sides to maintain the latter and end-gates in folded position.

2. In a vehicle-body, a bottom, upwardlyprojecting perforated ears carried thereby, removable sides and end-gates adapted for arrangement in folded position upon the bottom, pairs of spaced cleats attached to the sides to receive the ends of the end-gates when in normal position, centrally-disposed cleats carried by the end-gates and designed for engagement between the sides when the parts are in folded position, said last-named cleats and sides having alining perforations, and removable tie-rods adapted for entrance through said perforations to maintain the parts in un folded position, the rods being adapted for entrance through the perforated ears and between the spaced cleats on the sides for securing the parts in folded position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS LOTHERINGTON.

\Vitnesses:

R. E. CHADwIoK, E. E. MoCoRMAoK. 

